Those behind the attack are allegedly demanding $300 of the digital currency bitcoin, which equates to around £230 worth of the digital currency bitcoin, otherwise the files will be deleted.

But just minutes after news of the attack broke, the British intelligence and security organisation shared a poem for National Limerick Day, with the caption: ‘It’s a good job we’re better at keeping Britain safe than writing limericks.’

Two lines of the poem read: ‘We are against cyber threats, terrorists and those up to no good.

The NHS has been targeted by hackers (Picture: Getty)

‘Because keeping Britain safe is what we do.’

Twitter users were unimpressed by the poem, shared after the security breach.